Airplane Crash: Putin Takes Personal Interest in Handling the AN-26 Tragedy Over Syria
At the beginning — the latest data on the crash of the Russian transport aircraft An-26 in the Syrian province of Latakia. Vladimir Putin has already received a detailed report on the circumstances of the tragedy. The President discussed the incident with Shoygu and expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and the entire staff of the Ministry of Defense. Relatives of the victims of the disaster will be provided with all the necessary support.
According to preliminary information, the cause of the crash could be a technical defect. The special commission of the Ministry of Defense and the Main Military Prosecutor's Office are already investigating. An-26 crashed when approaching the landing at the airfield Khmeimim today at about 3 pm. There were 39 Russian militarists onboard — 33 passengers and 6 crew members. All of them died. The Defense Department clarified that the plane was not shot down.
The Ministry of Defense: "According to the report from the scene, there was no fire effect on the aircraft. The plane collided with the ground, not reaching about 500 meters to the runway. According to preliminary information, the cause of the crash could be a technical defect.”
Investigators are now considering all possible versions of the disaster. An-26 is a transport aircraft, developed in the late 1960s in the construction bureau "Antonov". It is still used for the delivery of troops and military equipment.